“We’ve had quite a good season so far. For me, I’m just focused on trying to continue that this weekend – even if I’m in a different car.”
Yet, for all the feel-good factor of Lawson getting a chance to put right any wrongs from his brief stint at Red Bull in 2025, the Kiwi also has an unenviable task.
He’s stepping back into a car that’s famously difficult to drive, and, considering the sprint weekend format will limit all 22 drivers to a single practice session, Lawson’s fight over the coming days is going to be tricky at best.
Since Lawson was confirmed to make his return earlier this week, he has effectively been living in Red Bull’s simulator. Even the team’s in-house media channels weren’t permitted access to film any content with the Kiwi in order to maximise his opportunities to learn his new car.
However, while Red Bull’s RB22 is much less forgiving than the Racing Bulls VCARB03 he’s piloted to ninth in the drivers championship so far this season, this scenario is almost identical to Lawson’s introduction into Formula One in 2023.
On that occasion, Lawson deputised for Daniel Ricciardo – who also suffered a wrist injury at Zandvoort – on short notice, was afforded just one practice session, and took his car from 20th to 13th in the grand prix.
And considering his added experience in the years since, with an extra 46 grands prix now under his belt, Lawson’s foundation this weekend is much more solid.
“I’ve had a lot more races since then, I feel much more comfortable racing in this sport,” he explained.
“But it’s going to be a very challenging weekend, for sure. [With] a sprint weekend, it’s going to be a quick learning process tomorrow. That’s what we’re focused on, it’s what we were trying to do yesterday in the simulator.
“If we can speed up that learning process as much as possible, it would help our weekend.”
Liam Lawson arrives at Zandvoort for his return to Red Bull Racing. Photo / SmartFrame
For all the talk of Lawson’s first taste of Red Bull, he’d be forgiven for eyeing the Dutch Grand Prix as a shot at redemption.
With his own future yet to be confirmed beyond this season, being given this opportunity – instead of Red Bull reserve driver and former teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who will deputise at Racing Bulls – speaks volumes about how the team views Lawson.
And while there’s hardly nothing to lose, considering Red Bull’s fight for third in the lucrative constructors championship, Lawson makes no bones of the situation he’s faced with.
“As long as, for me, I’ve done all the prep I can – which I feel like I have – and accept it’s going to be tough, I’m going to try and enjoy it,” he said with a smile.
“It’s a track I’ve enjoyed racing at in the past, and it’s the last time we’re here as well. But as challenging as it’s going to be, it’s very exciting. We’ll try and make the most of tomorrow, getting in the car at the start of practice is going to be quite foreign.
“Trying to learn as much through sprint quali, the sprint race and being as prepped for quali on Saturday is probably the target.”
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.